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Brabus intros power kit for Mercedes GL and ML420 CDI

Brabus, when it's not busy messing around on little things like the world's fastest sedan, actually makes performance modifications that "regular" Benz drivers can put to use on a daily basis. Case in point: the newly-introduced PowerXtra D8 (III) kit for Mercedes-Benz's GL and ML 420 CDI models. The upgrade, which suposedly only takes 30 minutes for a dealer to install, provides an instant 44 horsepower boost.

Translation: 350 post-upgrade horsepower and a monstrous 590 lbs (800 Nm) of stump-yanking torque (though we wonder if anyone ever puts these things to work in that way). 62 mph arrives in a smidge over 7 seconds for the big GL-Class sled, and six seconds flat for the ML. That's plenty peppy either way you look at it. For maximum stealth, you can leave your ride stock-looking. If you're more of an extrovert (and something tells me that Mercedes owners browsing the Brabus catalog fall into this category), you can check in with any number of Brabus mods as seen in the little photo gallery attached to this post.

44 hp / 32.4 kW more power and 100 Nm more torque: Those are the two most important
performance figures of the BRABUS PowerXtra D8 (III) tuning kit for the two Mercedes models
GL 420 CDI and ML 420 CDI. BRABUS offers tuning kits backed by the
one-of-a-kind BRABUS Tuning Warranty® of three years up to 100,000 kilometers (see
BRABUS warranty conditions, as of June 2003).

The BRABUS PowerXtra D8 (III) power kit unleashes – without compromising safety reserves –
the true power inherent in the V8 common-rail turbodiesel engine. With BRABUS PowerXtra D8
(III) tuning rated power output jumps from stock 306 hp / 225 kW to 350 hp / 257 kW at just
3,800 rpm. At the same time peak torque grows from 700 Nm for the production car to 800 Nm
with D8 tuning.

Performance benefits accordingly: The tuned ML 420 CDI sprints from 0 – 100 km/h in just 6.0
seconds, half a second faster than the production car. Top speed increases from 235 to 245
km/h. The GL 420 CDI with BRABUS D8 (III) performance tuning also exhibits a more lively
character: With 7.1 instead of 7.6 seconds from rest to 100 km/h and a top speed increased
from 230 to 240 km/h the big SUV improves noticeably.

On and off road the BRABUS-tuned CDI engines offer not only excellent performance but -
more importantly - strong pulling power and low fuel consumption, which despite the increase in
performance remains on the level of the production car.
Just as exemplary are the vehicle emissions: Like their non-tuned brethren the CDI engines with
BRABUS PowerXtra D8 (III) tuning meet stringent Euro 4 emission limits. The D8 kit is also
suitable for all models equipped with diesel particulate filter.

The processor-driven BRABUS PowerXtra auxiliary control unit is designed as a 'plug & play'
device that can be installed in less than 30 minutes by any authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer.

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